Huawei, India, Indonesia: Your Wednesday Briefing

We’re covering Huawei’s latest conundrum, the diminishing hopes of India’s opposition Congress party and a strange yet increasingly popular Australian drinking tradition.

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A Huawei store in Beijing.CreditLam Yik Fei for The New York Times

Can Huawei survive without American chips?

Now that the Trump administration has labeled Huawei a national security threat and essentially cut off its access to American technology, the company has to figure out how to make do without foreign semiconductors — illuminating a broader conundrum for China.

For decades, the Chinese government has sought to decrease its reliance on foreign chipmakers and become a world leader in the field, pledging tens of billions of dollars to boost local players.

But the U.S. wants Beijing to scale back state support for its firms as part of any final trade deal.

By the numbers: Last year, China imported more than $300 billion worth of computer chips, the backbone of all digital products. The company’s founder and chief executive, Ren Zhengfei, told Chinese media that in “peaceful times,” half of Huawei’s chips came from American companies.

A temporary reprieve: The U.S. said it would allow Huawei to continue doing business with American suppliers for 90 days to prevent disruption to mobile networks that use the company’s equipment.

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Congress party president Rahul Gandhi, with his mother, Sonia Gandhi, right, and his sister, Priyanka Gandhi.CreditManish Swarup/Associated Press

Fading hopes for India’s ailing Congress party

After a humiliating defeat in 2014, the party that had dominated India’s political scene for decades was hoping to bounce back this year.

It’s looking unlikely. Even the most restrained exit polls indicate that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party will take a leading role for the next five years when results are announced Thursday.

Context: Congress is the party of towering independence leaders, including the country’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. Mr. Nehru’s great-grandson, Rahul Gandhi, now holds the party’s reins and is attempting to revive its reputation, which has been tarnished by corruption scandals and accusations of elitism.

Democratic calls for impeachment grow

As more House Democrats call for impeachment, the party is becoming increasingly divided over how to hold President Trump accountable.

Former White House counsel, Donald McGahn, became the latest to defy Congress, skipping a scheduled hearing about Mr. Trump’s attempts to obstruct the Russia investigation.

A sizable bloc of Democrats has now declared their support to start an impeachment inquiry, with many concerned that Mr. Trump’s actions are eroding a constitutional check on presidential power.

What’s next: The head of the House Judiciary Committee chairman promised to hold Mr. McGahn in contempt of Congress. And House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has called a Wednesday morning meeting to update her caucus on the status and strategy behind the House’s investigations.

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A rally last year in support of McDonald’s workers in Kansas City, Mo.CreditChristopher Smith for The New York Times

The fund filed 23 complaints against McDonald’s, accusing it of gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment in the workplace and retaliation for speaking up.

Response: Steve Easterbrook, the McDonald’s C.E.O., said the company has improved and clarified its policies on harassment, and put most franchise owners through training. He said the company planned to roll out a complaint hotline and training for front-line employees.

If you have 10 minutes, this is worth it

Indonesia’s government is ‘about harmony’

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President Joko Widodo at a mall in Bali last week, where a band was playing live music.CreditBryan Denton for The New York Times

By re-electing President Joko Widodo, Indonesia — the world’s third-biggest democracy and home to the world’s largest Muslim population — resisted the global trend of strongman politics and nationalism. Instead, voters chose a soft-spoken leader who revels in numbers, heavy metal bands and pluralism.

“For the continued existence of our country,” Mr. Joko said in an interview with The Times, “we have to rely on Indonesia’s culture, which is diverse and tolerant.”

His government, he added, “is about harmony and opposing extremism.”

Here’s what else is happening

Christchurch: The Australian man accused of fatally shooting dozens of Muslim worshipers at two mosques was charged with carrying out a terrorist act. The man, Brenton Tarrant, already faced 50 counts of murder after the massacre in March.

Hong Kong: Two political activists facing rioting charges over a clash with the police in 2016 were granted refugee protection in Germany — likely the first citizens from the semiautonomous Chinese city to gain sanctuary. The move could be a turning point in global views of Hong Kong, where individual freedoms have eroded as Beijing tightens its grip.

European Parliament: Nationalists from across the 28-country bloc are heading into this week’s election as a united front, and polls suggest they may win seats from centrists that have long dominated the E.U.’s legislative body. Here’s our guide to how the elections work and what’s at stake.

Jamie Oliver: The celebrity chef declared bankruptcy for about two dozen of his restaurants in Britain after struggling with debt and an increasingly saturated market in recent years.

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CreditSebastian Modak/The New York Times

Snapshot: Above, a hiking trail in the village of Stary Smokovec, Slovakia, where our 52 Places columnist found himself alone but happy.

In memoriam: Niki Lauda, the Austrian racecar driver who won three Formula One world championships and was regarded as one of the greatest speedway drivers of all time. He died on Monday at 70.

The shoey: A growing number of celebrities are pouring alcohol into a shoe, chugging it and then wearing the wet shoe for the night — an Australian tradition that is popping up at live concerts and sporting events.

What we’re reading:This article in Aeon. “A historian rewrites the narrative of early America to include a forgotten group: Muslims,” says the briefings editor, Andrea Kannapell.

Now, a break from the news

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CreditRyan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.

Cook: Ragùs can simmer all day, but this quick version with ricotta and lemon is an excellent shortcut.

Read: Love it or loathe it, the “Game of Thrones” finale delivered some reminders of the spectacular ride it has been, our chief TV critic writes.

Smarter Living: Hey, guys, Tim here. I’m the editor of Smarter Living and wanted to take a moment to remind you about our weekly newsletter, which has more great stories and topics than we can get to you in your Morning Briefing. Every Monday, I email readers with tips and advice for living a better, more fulfilling life. Sign up here to get it in your inbox.

It’s water vapor’s natural frequency. Monitoring it yields valuable data that can be fed into weather-modeling programs. Forecasters can’t just switch to another band — there would be no water-vapor data there.

Thank youChris Stanford helped compile today’s briefing. Mark Josephson, Eleanor Stanford and Kenneth R. Rosen provided the break from the news, and Kendra Pierre-Louis, a climate reporter, wrote today’s Back Story. You can reach the team at briefing@nytimes.com.

P.S.• We’re listening to “The Daily.” Our latest episode is about Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India.• Here’s our Mini Crossword, and a clue: Having 3.25 percent fat, as milk (5 letters). You can find all our puzzles here. • Kathy Ryan, the director of photography for The New York Times Magazine, published a book of photographs in 2014 that capture the interplay of natural light and architecture within The New York Times Building.